Severe
Scale
Choose high-impact events, not minor outages.
Scenario testing for resilience
Simulate severe but plausible events.
Learn how to design and run operational resilience scenario tests that evaluate capabilities, expose gaps, and drive continuous improvement.
What is scenario testing?
Scenario testing simulates severe but plausible events to evaluate how well people, processes, and technology respond.
Real
Plausible
Ground scenarios in real threats your organisation could face.
📈
Outcomes
Every test must produce actionable improvements.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why scenario testing accelerates maturity
Validates plans. Tests prove whether continuity plans, communications, and escalations work when the pressure is real.
Builds confidence. Practiced teams respond faster during real incidents because they already know who does what and when.
Supports compliance. Many regulators, including those behind DORA, require documented scenario tests with lessons learned.
DESIGN
How to design effective scenarios
- Set objectives Decide what capability you want to evaluate—people, tech, or vendors.
- Draft narratives Describe the event timeline, injects, and expected responses.
- Plan observers Assign facilitators to capture data without disrupting participants.
CADENCE
How to run, measure, and learn
- Execute drills Combine tabletop, technical, and live-failover exercises so every team gets hands-on practice.
- Score performance Use criteria like response times, decision quality, and communications to make feedback objective.
- Capture lessons Hold after-action reviews immediately and summarise key insights in plain language.
- Track remediation Log actions in your resilience program and monitor to completion to prove maturity gains.
Scenario testing quick wins
Build an exercise calendar
Schedule scenarios across the year with varied themes.
Create inject templates
Standardise the prompts you use during exercises.
Include leadership
Ensure decision-makers practice escalations and communications.
SCENARIO TESTING GLOSSARY SNAPSHOT
Scenario testing glossary snapshot
Tabletop exercise. Discussion-based scenario focused on decision-making.
Live failover. Technical testing where systems switch to alternate environments.
Inject. A deliberate twist or update introduced during a scenario.
FAQS
Scenario testing FAQs
How often should we run scenario tests?
Plan quarterly exercises, with at least one severe event involving leadership each year.
What evidence should we keep?
Store plans, attendance, decisions, lessons learned, and remediation logs.
Do scenarios have to be technical?
No—mix technology, process, people, and third-party scenarios.
How do we choose scenarios?
Base them on risk assessments, incidents, regulator guidance, and upcoming changes.
Drova RunReady tracks exercise plans, participants, and remediation tasks so you can show progress.
Ready to manage scenario testing end-to-end?
GRC 101 HUB
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Test against pre-set disruption thresholds.
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Meet EU scenario testing expectations.
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